Weft-replenishing mechanism for looms.



Patented Fehpll, |902. H. W.SMITH. WEFT BEPLENISHING MEGHANISM FOR LOOMS.

(Application led Oct. 22, 19(10.)

' 2 sheets-sheet l.

(No Model.)

N0. 692,935. H. w. SMIT-H. l l

w'EFTfngPLEmsHmG MEcHAmsm Fon Lumg;

. Patented Feb. |902.A

(Appucavinn med oct. 2'2, 1900.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

' (No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY IV. SMITH, OF GRAFTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

WEFT-REPLENISHING MECHANISIVI FOR LOOIVIS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 692,935, dated February 11, 1902.

Application tiled October 22, 1900.. Serial No 33,800. (No model.)

T0 all whom, it' may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY W. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Grafton, county of. Worcester, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Veft-Replenishing Mechanism for Looms, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings,is a specification, like characters of the drawings representing like parts.

The invention to be hereinafter described relates to that class of looms wherein filling changing mechanism is employed to edect a supply of fresh filling without stopping the loom when that in an active shuttle has become practically exhausted,and more particularly to such type of loom employing shifting or changing shuttle-boxes.

It has heretofore been proposed to provide a drop or shifting shuttle-box loom with a filling changing or replenishing mechanism; but in such case the filling-changing mechanism has been operative to supply fresh filling only when the filling in an active shuttle has become broken or exhausted, whereas in my present invention I have devised a detecting mechanism which will indicate approaching exhaustion of the filling and prior to its complete exhaustion and while the sh uttle still contains sufficient filling to make one or more picks will cause the filling-changing mechanism to become operative to effect a change of filling.

In adapting my invention to a shifting or changing shuttlebox loom, or one using different characters or colors of filling, it has been found preferable to locate the fillingchanging mechanism at one side of the loom, and the feeler mechanism, which feels for and detects the condition of practical exhaustion of the filling, at the opposite side thereof in order to obviate the suddenand quick action of the former that would otherwise be necessary, and for practical embodiment of my invention I have shown and described herein a type of loom having a single shuttlebox at one side and changing or shifting boxes at the opposite side. In such type of loom it is desirable that the filling-changing mechanism shall be located at the side of the loom adjacent the single shuttle-box, such disposition of parts readily permitting the ing shuttle-boxes and so disposed the parts as that the feeler may enter and feel for the filling in that shuttle which is next to be put in play. As the shifting shuttle-boxes move up and down under the call of the pattern different shuttles will be moved onto the line of the race, and as it is only necessary to feel for and detect the condition of the filling in the shuttle that is about to be put in play I have devised a detecting mechanism which as the lay beats up will feel for the-filling in the shuttle that is brought onto the line of the race, and should the filling be practically exhausted the detecting mechanism will indicate that fact and start other devices into operation to cause the filling-changing mechanism to operate to effect a change of filling b v ejecting the practically exhausted filling and substituting a fresh supply when the indicating-shuttle has arrived at the fillingchanging side of the loom.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation, parts being broken away, of so much of a loom as is necessary to show the adaptation of my invention thereto. Fig. 2 is a side ele vation of the same. Fig. 8 is a detached detail showing the feeler and some of its coperating parts to be described. Fig. is a detail in plan View of the feeler. Fig. 5 is a plan view showing the feeler as it appears when in Contact with a filled carrier and as the lay beats up. Fig. G is a like View showing the feeler under like conditions when in contact with a practically-exhausted carrier.

The loom-frame A, crank-shaft C, lay H, pitm an H,connecting the lay and crank-shaft, the cam-shaft B, the gears C C2,connectin g the crank and cam shafts, and the main shuttlebox lever E, pivoted at E2 on a bracket E and connected to the shuttle-box rod n by the link n', said main shuttle-box lever receiving mo' tion to raise and lower the shuttle-boxes, as desired, under the call of suitable pattern mechanism, are and may beas usual in looms containing drop orshiftingshuttle-boxes, and such mechanism being common and Well known by those skilled in the art need not herein be further elucidated.

IOO

Mounted on the loom-frame at the end thereof adjacent the single shuttle-box H2 is any usual form or constructionof filling feeder or hopper G6, containing a series of filling-carriers 22, arranged in groups, each group containing filling-carriers having different filling thereon corresponding with the filling used in the series of shuttles of the drop or shifting shuttle-boxes, and the feeder or hopper is moved positively and in unison with each change of position of the shuttle-boxes to thus place and keep opposite the transferrer 26 a filling-carrier having a filling corresponding in character or color with the filling in the then active shuttle.

In case of practical exhaustion of filling in the active shuttle, so that the filling-carrier has to be changed by substituting for the one then in the shuttle another having a fresh supply of filling, the feeder or hopper after the change of filling has been effected is given automatically a movement sufficient to bring into position a new group of filling-carriers, so as to place opposite the transferrer a filling-carrier in the new group which contains a filling corresponding with the lling just removed from the feeder or hopper and put into the shuttle. The filling feeder or hopper has then imparted to it differential movements and is oscillated and rotated in unison with the movements of the drop or shifting shuttle-boxes as necessity requires to always maintain a proper character or color of filling in position to be transferred to its proper shuttle, all as fully set forth in Letters Patent granted to Wyman and Crompton, No. 600,053, March 1,1898, to which reference may be had. The shaft G', carried by the brackets G and receiving motion from the main shuttle-box lever E through the link Gf2 and rod G4, and the other adjunctive .parts by which the described movements are given the feed-hopper through certain gears, only gears 31 32JF thereof being diagram matically shown, are and may be all as fully described in said Patent No. 600,053, and these specific devices, forming no part of my present invention and being fwell understood by those skilled inthe art, need not be herein further described.

YIn the present embodiment of my invention I have shown a drop or shifting shuttle-box D, having two cells; butit is to be understood, of course, that any number of cells may be employed, depending upon the pattern being woven, and this shuttle-box is mounted, as usual, ou the shuttle-box rod n, the latter serving to raise and lower the boxes under the call of the pattern of the shuttle-box motion of any usual form and construction, so timed with reference to the movements of the lay that the cell which contains the shuttle to be next put in action will be brought to the line rof the race as the lay beats up, as will hereinafter more fully appear. The shuttleboxes rise and fall in suitable guides d on the guide-stand D', preferably secured to one end of the lay, Fig. l, as usual.

Suitably pivoted to the breast-beam at 47 is the transferrer 26, having its end c disposed With relation to the filling-carriers 22, as shown in Patent No. 600,053 referred to, a spring a normally holding the end of the transferrer above the lower carrier. Fixedly connected to the .transferrer 26 at its pivoted connection 47 with the breast-beam is a depending arm CL2, having pivoted at its 4lower end as a dagger cri, the end of which is normally sustained out of the path of a bunter a5, carried by the lay. With a shuttle of usual construction as used in a filling-changing loom and as shown in Patent No. 600,053 in the single-box side of the loom adjacent the filling-changing mechanism it will be evident that if the end of dagger a4 is put into the path of the bunter d5 the transferrer will be actuated on the beat-up of the lay to transfera filling-carrier from the hopper or feeder to the shuttle and will at the same time eject the carrier then in the shuttle.

Each cell d of the drop or shifting shuttleboX D is provided with a binder d2, pivoted at dsand normally pressed inward by a binderspring d4. In the length of each binder cl2 there is provided an enlargement d5, having a perforation d6, through which the detecting device, to be hereinafter described, is adapted to project and feel for the filling on the carrier, the said perforation beinglocated at a point in the binder opposite a portion of the base of the filling-carrier when the shuttle is in position in its cell.

Extending across the loom-frame below the breast-beam is a shaft b, having on the end thereof opposite the single shuttle-box a supporting-arm b', provided with an enlarged or oval head b2, on which the dagger a4 normally rests, the said dagger at the point of support on said head being also provided with a cam portion b3 for the purpose of rocking the shaft b when the dagger is moved backward under the action of the bunter to thereby reset the detecting mechanism, as will hereinafter appear.

Mounted on a bracket F, Fig. 3, secured to the loom-frame by bolt F', is the detecting mechanism, comprising two feeler-fingers e e', loosely carried, so as to have sliding movement endwise in a case e", secured to the bracket F, a spring e3 being interposed between a collar e4 on each finger and the case e2 to normally hold said fingers in their projected position, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, a stop e'5 on each nger serving to limit the outward or projecting movement of the fingers. Likewise supported on a bracket FX, Figs. l and 3, as by bolts F2, is a guide or casing f, in which slides a drop-fingerf', normally under the depressing tension of a spring f2, one end of which is connected to the guide f at f3 and the other to a'pin f4, projecting from the drop-finger. The drop-finger is formed of two parts, the upper portion being hinged to the lower portion by a knife-joint f5 and normally held open and in position shown by IOO IIO

Fig. 3 by a spring f6. At the end of-the upper portion the drop-finger is enlarged and provided with a head f7, having a perforation f 8, with which the feeler-iinger c is adapted to be engaged under normal working conditions of the loom, the other feeler-finger e' bearing by its end against the solid portion of the head f7.

Secured to the end of shaft Z1 below the feeler-iingers e e is an arm fi), having its end flo in position below the guide f, so that when the drop-finger f' falls, as will be explained, the same contacts with the end of arm f", and by virtue of its weight or the spring f2, or both, causes the shaft h to be turned to lift the dagger by means of the supporting-arm b' into the path of the bunter a5 'and eect ak change of filling, as has been described.

'Ihe feeler-ngers e e are so positioned with relation to the shifting shuttle-boxes that as the lay beats up and the shuttle-box containing the shuttle next to be put in play approaches the forward position the feelerfingers will enter the cell then substantially on a line with the race, and if the filling fn on the carrier f12 contained in that shuttle is full or in sufficient working quantity both of the fingers e e will be pushed back together by the filling on the carrier, as indicated in Fig. 5, and the upper portion of the dropiinger will remain in engagement with the feeler-nger e, the said upper portion of the drop-finger merely yielding on its pivot against the tension of spring f6; but should the filling be'practically exhausted, as shown in Fig. 6, then the feeler e will contact with the base f13 of the carrierfl'? and be pushed backward on the continued forward movement of the lay. There being no practicalv amount of filling of the carrier fm, the finger e will not be pushed back tothe same extent as finger e', and the head f7 of the drop-finger will by the finger e bepushed off the end of nger e, thus permitting the drop-finger to fall under the action of gravity or spring f, or both, and,striking the arm fo, turn the shaft, so that the supporting-arm b is raised to` carry the end of the dagger in position to be struck by the bunter a5, and thus cause a transfer of filling on the next beat-up when the indicating-shuttle is in the single shuttlc-box adjacent the filling-changing mechanism. As the lay thus moves forward the cam b3 on the dagger depresses the end b2 of the supporting-arm, thereby raising the end f1@ of the arm ff and lifting the drop-nger against the action of its spring, and the feeler -iingers e e being now held in projected position by the springs e3 the rounded end f14 of the upper portion of the drop-finger is carried upward until the end 'of feelerfinger e again engages the perforation f8 in the head f7 of the drop-finger, and the parts thus resume their original position, as will be fully understood.

Thus it will be seen that the detecting mechanism is held stationary on a part of the loomframe or the bracket secured thereto in such position with respect to theshifting shuttleboxes as that when the lay beats forward the feeler-ngers willenter the perforation in the binders and feel forthe filling in the shuttle and this action willtake place on every beatup of the lay; but so long as the filling inthe shuttle is of sufficient quantity for working purposes both feeler-iingers will be pushed to therear by the onward movement of the lay,-L

and the feeler-iinger e will continue to sustain the drop-iingerf. Should,however,thefilling be nearly exhausted, the feeler-iingers in their rearward movement will be unequally moved as the lay beats up and the feeler-iinger e. will force head f7 of the drop-finger from supporting contact withlthe finger e, and the operation of changing the filling, as above set forth, will on the next beat-up of the lay when the depleted shuttle or carrier has reached the single-box side of the loom adjacent the filling-changing mechanism take place. In other words, the detecting mechanism through the feeler-fingers feels for the filling on each beatup of the lay, andwhen they have detected the practical exhaustion of filling they will trip the drop-finger, so that on the next beatup of the lay the depleted shuttle then being in the single box the lling-changing mechanism will operate to change the iilling.

While I have shown as the present einbodiment of my invention devices for changing the filling-carrier in the shuttle, it is to be understood that the invention is not necessarily limited thereto, but that, if desired, the shuttles themselves may be changed, as will be well understood by those skilled in the art. Moreover, while I have shown only two cells in the shifting shuttle-boxes, it is to be understood that any number of cells may be employed as desired, the essence of the invention being the provision of detecting mechanism held on the loom-frame adjacent the shifting shuttle-boxes, which sh'all enter the cell of the shuttle-boxes then on the line of the race to detect the condition of the -Iilling'in the shuttle and to effect a change of v filling on the next Abeatup should the filling in the said shuttle be practically exhausted.

The detailsv of my invention may of course be varied, and I do not regard the vspecific embodiment of the in vention herein described as being essential. f

The shifting movement of the shuttle-boxes and the position of the feeler-fingers e ey are so related to each other that as the lay approaches its forward position the feeler-iingers may enter the shuttle 'and Vfeel for the iliing without interference with the shifting movement of the shuttle-boxes, as will be clear to one skilled in the art;

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a loom the following instrumentalities, viz: a lay, shifting shuttle boxes, detectin g mechanism ad jacentthe shifting shut- IOO A IIO tlc-boxes adapted to feel for the filling in one of the shuttles as the lay beats up, and lilling-changing mechanism operative on the practical exhaustion of the filling in an active shuttle to supply fresh filling.

2. In a loom the following instrumentalities, Viz: a lay, shifting shuttle-boxes, a filling-changing mechanism, a detecting mechanism having provisions for enteringand feeling for the filling in the shuttles and means for causing the operation of the filling-changing mechanism to effect a change of filling when that in an active shuttle has become practically exhausted.

3. In a loom the following instrumentalities, viz: a lay, shifting shuttle-boxes, a filling-changing mechanism, a stationary detecting mechanism adjacent the shifting shuttleboxes having provisions for feeling for the filling in one of the shuttles and means for causing the operation of the filling-changing mechanism to effect a change of filling when that in the active shuttle has become practically exhausted.

4. In a loom the following instrumentalities, viz: a lay, shifting shuttle-boxes, a filling-changing mechanism, a stationary detecting mechanism comprising fingers adapted to enter a cell of the shifting shuttle-box to feel for the filling in the shuttle, and means to cause the filling-changing mechanism to operate to supply fresh filling when that in an active shuttle has become practically exhausted.

5. In a loom the following instrumentalities, viz: a lay, shifting shuttle-boxes at one end thereof, a filling-changing mechanism at the opposite end thereof, a detecting mechanism adjacent the shifting shuttle-boxes having provision for feeling for the filling in onevof the shuttles as the lay beats up, and means for causing the operation of the fillingchanging mechanism to effect a change of filling when that in an active shuttle has become practically exhausted.

6. In a loom the following instrumentalities, viz: a lay, shifting shuttle-boxes at one end thereof, a filling-changing mechanism at the opposite end thereof, a stationary detecting mechanism provided with feeler-fingers to enter a cell of the shifting shuttle-boxes and means under the control of said feelerfingers to cause the operation of the fillingchanging mechanism when the filling in an active shuttle has become practically exhausted.

7. In a loom the following instrumentalities, viz: a lay, shifting shuttle-boxes at one end thereof, each cell of which is provided with a binder having a perforation therein, a filling-changing mechanism at theopposite end of the lay, a detecting mechanism having feeler-fingers adapted to enter each cell of the shuttle-boxes, and means under control of the feeler-fingers for causing the filling-changing mechanism to become operative to effect a change of filling when that in an active shuttle has become practically exhausted.

8. In aloom the following instrumentalities, viz: a lay, shifting shuttle-boxes the cells of which are'provided with perforations for the reception of feeler-fingers, a detecting mechanism mounted on the loom-frame comprising a pair of f eeler-fingers located adjacent the shifting shuttle-boxes, a fillingchanging mechanism and means controlled by said vfingers for causing the filling-changing mechanism to effect a change of filling when that in an active shuttle has become practically exhausted.

9. In a loom the following instrumentalities, viz: a lay, shifting shuttle-boxes at one end thereof, a filling-changing mechanism, a detecting mechanism supported by the loomframe adjacent the shifting shuttle-boxes and comprising yielding fingers adapted to enter a cell of the shifting shuttle-boxes to feel for the lling in the shuttle, and means under control of said fingers for causing the fillingchanging mechanism to supply fresh filling When that in an active shuttle has become practically exhausted.

lO. In a loom the following instrumentalities, viz: a lay, shifting shuttle-boxes at one end thereof, a filling-changing mechanism, a detecting mechanism supported by the loomframe adjacent the shifting shuttle-boxes and comprising yielding fingers adapted to enter a cell of the shifting shuttle-boxes to feel for the filling in the shuttle, a drop-finger under control of the feeler-fingers,'a dagger and means between the drop-finger and dagger to position the latter to cause the operation of the. filling-changing mechanism when the filling in an active shuttle has become practically exhausted.

ll. In a loom the combination of the lay, shifting shuttle-boxes at one end thereof, a filling-changing mechanism, yielding feelerfingers supported adjacent the shifting shuttie-boxes and adapted to enter a cell of said boxes to feel for the filling in the shuttle, a dagger and means interposed between the dagger and feeler ngers to position the former to cause the filling-changing mechanism to operate when the filling in an active shuttle has become practically exhausted.

l2. In a loom the combination of the lay, shifting shuttle-boxes, a detecting mechanism including feeler-fngers adapted to enter a shell of the shuttle-boxes to feel for the fillingin the shuttle next to be put in play, a drop-finger normally sustained by one of said feeler-fingers and adapted to be disengaged therefrom by the other feeler-finger when the filling in said shuttle has become practically exhausted, and filling-changing mechanism made operative by the drop-nger to eect a change of filling when that in said shuttle has become practically exhausted.

13. In a loom the following instrumentalities: a filling-changing mechanism, a lay, a detecting mechanism including two feelerfingers adapted to enter the shuttle and feel for the filling, and mechanical means under filling when that in the shuttle has become control of said feeler-fingersfor operating the l ing mechanism to supply fresh filling when y lling-Changing mechanism to supply fresh that in the shuttle has become nearly eX- hansted.

In testimony whereof I have signed my l5 nearly exhausted.

14. In a loom the following instrumentaliiname to this specification in the presence 0f ties: a filling-changing mechanism, a lay, a two subscrihing Witnesses. detecting mechanism includin@ two independently-movable feeler-ngerzss'adapted to HARRY W SMITH' I I Witnesses: y

G1 30;1W. GREGORY, EDITHM. STODDARD.

enter the shuttle and feel for the filling, and mechanical means under control -of said feeler-ngers for operating the filling-chang- 

